Tales of Consumption University of Southern Denmark

In this episode we discuss our varied experiences of and relationships with nature. We pay particular attention to inter-generational similarities and differences, and geographical/ cultural differences of understandings of nature.

We are joined by Christina Elvira Dahl, a research assistant, and Mathilde Hansson, a student in the Market & Management Anthropology Bachelor’s program, both from the University of Southern Denmark. They share their research on evolving garden practices in Denmark and indigenous strategies for dealing with waste in Hawaii, respectively.

References in this episode:
Douglas, M. (2003). Purity and danger: An analysis of concepts of pollution and taboo. Routledge.

Haraway, D. J. (2013). When species meet. U of Minnesota Press.

Kimmerer, R. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Milkweed editions.

Canniford, R. and Shankar, A., 2013. Purifying practices: How consumers assemble romantic experiences of nature. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(5), pp.1051-1069.

Kunchamboo, V., Lee, C.K. and Brace-Govan, J., 2017. Nature as extended-self: Sacred nature relationship and implications for responsible consumption behavior. Journal of Business Research, 74, pp.126-132.

In this episode Lez Trujillo Torres from the University of Illinois, Chicago shares her research on complex emotions and family dynamics involving covid 19 vaccines.
We also discuss, more generally, how consumption gets complicated when multiple actors experiencing varied emotions negotiate rules of engagement and boundary-making.

References in this episode:
Mimoun, L., Trujillo-Torres, L. and Sobande, F., 2021. Social emotions and the legitimation of the fertility technology market. Journal of Consumer Research.

We are joined by Tanvi Gupta and Rupali Kapoor from the Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur to discuss the interrelationships between food practices, nationhood, memory and brands.
Tanvi and Rupali share their research on Cadbury’s Bournvita drinking chocolate and how this brand as well as product has been central to many Indian consumers’ associations of childhood.
We also touch upon the postcolonial associations of certain brands and how their significations change over time.

Recommended reading:
Wilk, R.R., 1999. " Real Belizean food": building local identity in the transnational caribbean. American anthropologist, 101(2), pp.244-255.
Appadurai, A., 1988. How to make a national cuisine: cookbooks in contemporary India. Comparative studies in society and history, 30(1), pp.3-24.
Holtzman, J.D., 2006. Food and memory. Annu. Rev. Anthropol., 35, pp.361-378.
Belasco, W., 2002. Food matters: Perspectives on an emerging field. Food nations: Selling taste in consumer societies, pp.2-23.

In this episode, we try to understand how technological entanglements have been shaping contemporary family life and question our imaginings of the “normal,” happy and child-centered family.

Our two guests, Lydia Ottlewski (University of Southern Denmark) and Karin Brondino-Pompeo (Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing, São Paulo) share their research on online platforms through which users form parenting arrangements in Germany (Lydia) and through which parents produce and curate child-centered content in Brazil (Karin).

We also ponder upon the role (and responsibilities) of platforms and the legal and ethical frameworks that accompany family life.

In this episode we are joined by Domen Bajde from the University of Southern Denmark to discuss sports consumption. We being with a conversation around our personal interests in sports viewing and how political issues influence sports and athletes in different ways. Then Domen talks us through his project on NFTs and questions whether consumption is really changing from ‘solid to liquid’ or are we just seeing new forms of the desire for ownership.

Some references:
Fletcher, T., 2012. ‘Who do ‘‘they” cheer for?’Cricket, diaspora, hybridity and divided loyalties amongst British Asians. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 47(5), pp.612-631.
Fletcher, T., 2011. The making of English cricket cultures: Empire, globalization and (post) colonialism. Sport in Society, 14(1), pp.17-36.
Bardhi, F. and Eckhardt, G.M., 2017. Liquid consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 44(3), pp.582-597.
Canniford, R. and Shankar, A., 2013. Purifying practices: How consumers assemble romantic experiences of nature. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(5), pp.1051-1069.

In this episode we talk to Adjoa Ocran about her PhD research on Ghanaian celebrities.
We specifically discuss celebrity priests and how young Ghanians make sense of the concept of ‘celebrity’.

Additionally, we touch upon issues of child celebrities like Britney Spears, ‘cancel culture’ and the cannibalism of Armie Hammer, and finally, how consumption is related to celebrity culture.